Botchan... Sebuah Novel Bagus Untuk Guru

In Botchan the narrator recounts his life, focussing mainly on the short period he spent as a teacher in the Japanese countryside. His childhood wasn't particularly pleasant, with his older brother the favoured child, and the only person he has any real affection for is the family maid, Kiyo. She looks out for him -- and is the one who call's him 'Botchan', even after he's probably outgrown the nickname -- and dreams of one day going to live and work in his home when he's grown up.
First his mother and eventually his father dies, and Botchan at least receives enough from the inheritance to make himself independent. He vacillates between setting up a business and getting an education, and eventually decides on getting a degree. In deciding what to study (as elsewhere) his impulsiveness is on prominent display:

I happened to walk past the Institute of Physical Sciences and saw a sign saying STUDENTS WANTED. This, I figured, was meant to be, so I took a look at their list of regulations, and signed up right then and there.

He lucks into a teaching job after he graduates, and sets out for the provinces.
Botchan has an attitude problem, and this makes for much of the appeal of the novel. His lack of respect (he'll show it, where need be, but he's entirely unimpressed by the hollow rituals of respect so widespread in Japan) must be especially shocking (and subversively appealing) to Japanese readers, but even those not familiar with that specific culture can appreciate his no-nonsense attitude -- especially given the amount of nonsense around him.
Botchan is entirely unimpressed by the people he has to deal with. He's also -- as he's the first to admit -- a bit slow on the uptake ("I may have courage, but I don't have the brains to match"), so he's never entirely sure where he stands as the other teachers (and his landlords and students) maneuver around him. He's also a man of honour -- and, as far as he can tell, no one else around him is. Told to consider his career before taking a decisive step he is outraged: "Who cares about my record ? Doing what's right is more important." But it's definitely not the prevalent philosophy and, needless to say, Botchan's attitude -- amplified by an against-the-grain mentality -- keeps him in considerable trouble.
Botchan is a loner, though he can get along with others when he has to. He claims: "I had already come to the conclusion that I wasn't the kind of person that anybody could like", and while that's probably not true he certainly does make it hard for people to take to him, his rectitude and quick temper (and urbanite sense of superiority) making him anything but an easy-going guy. He seems never to have had any friends, and doesn't really make any here; Kiyo, waiting for him in Tokyo, is the only sort of anchor he has
The descriptions of school life and politics are entertaining. The narrative shifts around, the emphasis on specific episodes such as the pranks the students pull on him and some of the affairs of the other teachers. A sympathetic narrator, prone to rash acts, Botchan's story of his life as a teacher is bumpy (and comes to a fairly quick and somewhat simplistic conclusion) but entertaining. And despite Botchan's negativism (and quite a few bad things that happen), it's also surprisingly cheerful, a nice mix of the serious and comic that help make the book particularly winning.
A bit rough in its telling, Botchan is a quick and enjoyable read.

Kisahnya tentang masa tinggal seorang pemuda di sebuah kota kecil, interaksinya dengan orang-orang di sana, dan kejadian-kejadian yang dialaminya. Nama sang karakter utama tak pernah disebut sepanjang jalannya cerita. Jadi, kita sebut saja dia Botchan (alias "Tuan Muda"). Soalnya, begitulah pelayannya memanggil dirinya (rekan kerjanya juga menjulukinya seperti itu, meskipun dalam hal ini panggilan tersebut merupakan olok-olok).

Selepas lulus dari Sekolah Tinggi Fisika di Tokyo, dia mendapat tawaran untuk mengajar di sebuah SMP di Pulau Shikoku. Berhubung dia gak tau mau ngapain setelah lulus, diterimanya saja pekerjaan itu.

Karena dia orang Tokyo, banyak aspek kehidupan kota kecil yang tak biasa baginya. Misalnya saja saat menyewa kamar di sebuah penginapan, dia dikasih kamar yang benar-benar jelek, padahal masih banyak kamar kosong yang bagus di lantai atas (si pemilik ngakunya semua kamar udah penuh). Ternyata, penyewa harus ngasih uang muka supaya dapat memperoleh pelayanan yang prima. Kalo enggak, ya kayak dia deh. Kenapa pemilik penginapan gak langsung minta uang aja, coba? Selain itu, tampaknya semua orang saling tahu urusan masing-masing. Buktinya, murid-murid tahu bahwa dia mampir ke warung ramen dan dango, tahu berapa mangkok ramen dan berapa tusuk dango yang dimakannya, dan mengejeknya karena itu. Rese amat sih? Suka-suka orang dong, mau makan apa aja?!

Selain murid-murid rese yang suka lempar batu sembunyi tangan (sikap yang sangat dibenci Botchan), dia juga berhadapan dengan sejumlah rekan kerja yang "enggak banget" (menurut dia). Harap diingat, Botchan ini orangnya "lurus"--atau bisa juga disebut idealis--dan blak-blakan. Dia tipe orang yang gak segan-segan mencela karakter buruk orang lain, tapi juga gak ragu-ragu untuk minta maaf apabila dia salah. Masalahnya, orang "lurus" kayak dia kadang-kadang gak nyadar bahwa orang lain tuh gak seperti dia. Jadi, saat salah seorang guru yang dijulukinya Akashatsu ("Baju Merah", soalnya pakaiannya serba merah) memberi tahu Botchan bahwa guru bernama Hotta-lah (yang dijulukinya Yamaarashi atau "Landak") yang membuat Botchan jadi bulan-bulanan para murid dalam insiden dango dan ramen, Botchan langsung percaya. Padahal....